CACR 15 has bad implications
There is a constitutional amendment, CACR 15, being proposed by some New Hampshire lawmakers. It would establish a right to hunt, fish,and harvest game and would declare those traditional methods the “preferred means” of wildlife management. This elevates one specific management approach into the highest level of state law. Constitutional amendments are intentionally difficult to reverse. They should protect fundamental rights, not embed specific policy tools that future generations may wish to reconsider.
What concerns me most is that trapping and the use of hounds to chase raccoons, bears and coyotes could gain constitutional protection. That does not sit well with me because I consider both of these methods to be cruel. We can and should do better by the wild animals of New Hampshire. This legislation is unnecessary and could create problems in the future. I urge lawmakers to oppose CACR 15.